Wuthering Heights From the story by Emily Bronte

«So now you’re a cheat and a hypocrite as well!» I couldn’t help saying out loud.

«Who is, Nelly?» said Cathy behind me – I hadn’t noticed that she had come in.

«Your worthless friend!» I answered angrily. «What does he think he’s doing with Miss Isabella?»

Cathy went out to meet Heathcliff, her eyes blazing.

«Why are you causing all this trouble?» she raged. «I thought you had promised to leave Isabella alone. You’d better stop now or Edgar will lock you out of the house!»

«Just let him try!» growled Heathcliff. «I’m losing patience with him. Every day, I grow more desperate to see him gone!»

«For heavens’ sake^[52] be quiet, or Edgar will hear you,» said Cathy, closing the kitchen door. «Now why did you disobey me? Did Isabella fling herself at you?»

«What does it matter to you? She has every right to kiss me, and you have no right to object – I’m not your husband, so you needn’t be jealous of me!»

«I’m not jealous of you,» replied Cathy, crossly. «You’re welcome to marry Isabella if you really like her. But tell me the truth, Heathcliff, do you really like her? I can’t believe that you do.»

«Who cares whether I like her or not?^[53]» replied Heathcliff coldly. «This has nothing to do with liking. And thank you for telling me Isabella’s secret. I swear I’ll make good use of it.»

It was just as I feared – Heathcliff was going to trap Miss Isabella! I decided I had heard quite enough, and I hurried away to find my master.

«Nelly,» Mr. Edgar said as I entered the room, «have you seen your mistress?»

«Yes, sir, she’s in the kitchen, very upset by Mr. Heathcliff. And if you don’t mind me saying so, sir, I think it’s time to put an end to his visits.»

Then I described what I’d seen in the garden, and the quarrel that followed, as much as I dared.

«This is unbearable!» Edgar stormed. «It’s disgraceful that Catherine calls this man a friend and forces his company on me and my sister! Call some strong men to the kitchen, Nelly. I’ll make sure my wife spends no more time with him!»

Edgar strode into the kitchen.

«Why are you still talking to this wretch, Catherine?» he began angrily «You should have ordered him straight out of the house!»

«Have you been listening at the door, Edgar?» she replied mockingly, and Heathcliff added a sneering laugh.

My master kept very calm.

«Up until now, sir,» he said quietly, «I have been very patient, but that time is over. Your presence is a poison that is spreading through my home, and I refuse to allow you to visit here again. In fact, if you don’t leave in the next three minutes, I shall be forced to throw you out of my house!»

Heathcliff looked Edgar up and down with eyes full of scorn.

«Cathy, this little lamb of yours is threatening me like a bull!» he said. «The tiny creature is in danger of splitting its skull against my knuckles. Heavens, Linton, I’m sorry you’re not worth the bother of knocking down!»

Edgar gave me a signal to get the men. But Cathy saw what was happening, and quickly locked the kitchen door, grabbing the key.

«Let’s have a fair fight,» she said to her husband. «If you don’t have the courage to tackle Heathcliff on your own, you should apologize to him or let yourself be beaten. But don’t pretend to be braver than you are. I’m not letting go of this key – and I hope that Heathcliff beats you thoroughly, as a punishment for daring to criticize me!»

Edgar tried to seize the key from Cathy, but she threw it into the hottest part of the fire. Then he sank back into a chair, overcome by shaking and his face deathly white.

«Oh, heavens!» said Gathy scornfully «We are overcome! What a fine, brave knight you are! You’re more like a baby rabbit than a lamb!»

«I wish you joy of this milk-blooded coward, Cathy,» said Heathcliff roughly. «And this is the whimpering, shivering thing that you preferred to me! Is he weeping? Or is he going to faint from fear?»

Heathcliff gave Edgar’s chair a little push, but this was enough. My master jumped up and punched him in the throat – a blow that would have flattened a smaller man. It took Heathcliff’s breath away for a moment and, while he was choking, Edgar walked out of the back door and into the yard.

«There! That’s the end of your visiting here,» cried Cathy. «Get away now, before he comes back with a couple of pistols and half a dozen servants. Now, hurry up and go!»

«Do you think I’d leave now without crushing him into the ground?» roared Heathcliff.

«He’s not coming back,» I interrupted, inventing a story quickly. «But three men are coming up the path, and all of them are armed.»

Heathcliff hesitated for a moment and then decided to leave. He seized a poker, smashed the lock on the kitchen door, and escaped through the house.